couldnt agree more. No point having a winger who is class going forward if he's north west counties at defending. FWIW I think he'd go ok in the second row as his tackling when people run straight at him is pretty decent.

Completely agree. In fact, I would go even further and comment about how is now critical to helping us move forward up the field and I was keen for him to get the ball as often as possible because he is so effective. Sadly he has cost us in big games and whilst I expect the occasional howler he isn't learning from his mistakes. Can we afford to keep carrying that? I don't know if we can but, like you say, who is there to replace him? His mistakes certainly outweigh Gardner's contributions with the ball.

TBH if it was possible (Which I know it isnt) I'd like to get shut of both of them. Gardner is just a carthorse. He runs like he's wearing lead boots but he's reasonably solid in defence .. thats it. Meli is a disaster in defence and if you want to win the big tight games you cant carry liabilities like him. I'll bet between them there on a fair whack too

Our wingers are very error prone. I like Meli because most of the time he tackles well and he makes good yards with the ball, but you can guarantee he will make a big error several times in a season.

Gardner has been gash this season. He doesn't make big yards like Meli, he's making errors that he was making earlier on in his career and he isn't particularly quick. I'm losing patience with him now he needs a big year next year.

Sure Meli made mistakes but take the team as a whole this season on the games that ive been able to get to even though this was a big big game for me we never upped he anti at all.

How about Wheeler at 2 and Foster at 5 next season? Meli can move into either 12 or 4 with Soliola?

How about, are you crazy?

No, the thought of another season of Ade at his best just sent me slightly crazy with excitement there. My bad...

Totally agree but been consistent with that view for sometime.

A few of my brothers mates from Essex came to the game. They are aware of the game and it's rules etc. They have been reading up on the sport etc this week before coming to the game so picked up on the Longy revelations.

Their first suggestion as Meli made his error in the first half was, "What kind of bet could he have riding on that?". I didn't think anything of it at the time, but after watching the various angles they showed on the replays the more plausible a solution it becomes.

The ball was all but grounded, he could have dropped on it with little risk. He could have pushed it dead, he could easily have chucked it off the side of the pitch. Instead he threw it almost vertically upwards. He wasn't attempting to clear the ball from the field, he was passing it, and not off the field either. I'd love to hear his explanation of just what he was attempting to do.

Ever since I started watching Saints we've pretty much always been well off for at least one good winger.

Ledger, McCormack (pre-injury), Hunte, Sullivan, Quirk, Albert - that's one hell of a list. Granted, there have been one or two disasters - Kebbie and Carrington spring to mind, but they were identified as failures within a season and gotten rid of sharpish. Just about every NRL observer had Meli pegged as a washout with dodgy hands BEFORE he arrived. The kid can't help himself. The failure lies with McManus (who chose to award Meli an astonishingly generous long term contract despite his form being ordinary to say the least), Anderson, (who knew that Meli partly cost him his second GF and chose to let him cost him a third) and Potter, who let Meli cost him one too. Talk about tragicomic.

Gardner was on the verge of being shipped out and then decided to become bothered. For at least two seasons he was excellent value for money. But he's slipped back into his old ways. He may be worth one more season - only because I don't think we should replace both wingers at the same time.

What some of the Academy lads who can't get a gig at 2 or 5 right now must be thinking is probably unprintable.

Wellens
Meli
Soliola
Gidley
Pryce
Wheeler
Eastmond
Graham
Cunningham
Puletua
Flannery
Wilkin
Roby

Moore
Faasavalu
Fozzard
Clough

That should be our best 17 next year imo

In terms of Meli's error-proneness, I can only compare him to Ainscough at wigan. I know which one I'd rather have in my team, Aisncough every time.

TBH if you look at the way Sts have had to play over the past two seasons, its remarkable how well you've gone with the lack of pace out wide. Hopefully Soliola will add some punch in once centre, but had you got the likes of a Peter Fox or similar on each flank Sts would have a lot more points in you. In terms of Meli himself, I feel very sorry for the guy. He obviously tries hard, but frankly GFs are where players need to stand up and be counted and not make huge stuff-ups.

very true

wello by an even larger country mile for me